Wild River

For the State park in Minnesota, see Wild River State Park. For the 1960 film directed by Elia Kazan, see Wild River (film). For the waterpark in California, see Wild Rivers (amusement park). A Wild River (United States, Australia, & New Zealand) or Heritage River (Canada) is a river or a river system designated by a government to be protected and kept "..almost untouched by development and .. therefore in near natural condition, with all, or almost all, .. natural values intact." The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas categorizes areas across the world as Wilderness (IUCN Category 1b) protected areas if they are:

Large area[s] of unmodified or slightly modified land, and/or sea, retaining its natural character and influence, without permanent or significant habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural condition

Within some nation States including in the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, and the Commonwealth of Australia, governments have opted to focus on rivers and river systems as a kind of "unmodified or slightly modified" landscape feature to protect, manage and preserve in near 'natural' condition - variously labeling or formally declaring such areas to be "Wild Rivers" (or "Heritage Rivers"). The term "Wild river" may also more generically describe or identify rivers which provide a Wilderness (IUCN Category 1b) type experience or have a Wilderness type quality (in particular, free flowing waters without dams) which may be considered worth protecting and keeping for future generations.